The Terminatordirector James Cameron reveals that he thinks part of the film are “cringeworthy,” but defends it against one complaint. Released in 1984,The TerminatorintroducesArnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800, a robot sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who will eventually birth the leader of the human resistance. The movie, which also stars Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese, Connor’s protector, was widely celebrated at the time of its release and spawned a franchise that now features six movies in total.
In a recent interview withEmpire, Cameron reflects onThe Terminator, revealing that he believes some parts of the film don’t hold up well today. According to the director,the low-budget nature of the production (the film was made for $6.4 million) has resulted in aspects of the film being “cringeworthy,.“Check out Cameron’s explanation below:
“I don’t think of it as some Holy Grail, that’s for sure. I look at it now and there are parts of it that are pretty cringeworthy, and parts of it that are like, ‘Yeah, we did pretty well for the resources we had available.’ Just the production value, you know?”
As for the criticisms he doesn’t agree with, Cameron defendsThe Terminator’s dialogue, and, in fact, the dialogue from his other films as well:
“I don’t cringe on any of the dialogue, but I have a lower cringe factor than, apparently, a lot of people do around the dialogue that I write. You know what? Let me see your three-out-of-the-four-highest-grossing films — then we’ll talk about dialogue effectiveness.”
In order from highest to lowest, the four highest-grossing films of all time areAvatar(2009),Avengers: Endgame(2019),Avatar: The Way of Water(2022), andTitanic(1997), with Cameron directing all but the MCU title.
What Cameron’s “Cringeworthy” Comments Mean For The Terminator
Which Parts Don’t Hold Up Today?
Cameron is undeniably one of the most successful filmmakers of all time, and it’s no surprise that he looks back on his second-ever feature film with a critical eye. The numbers don’t lie, however, andThe Terminator, despite featuring elements that perhaps don’t hold up today, was a hit critically and commercially. The movie features a rare 100% score onRotten Tomatoesfrom critics and an 89% from audiences. At the box office,The Terminatorrecouped its $6.4 million budget and then some, grossing $78.4 million worldwide.
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Cameron is undoubtedly correct about some aspects having not aged well, though, such as the stop-motion used for the T-800 skeleton at the end of the film or the Schwarzenegger dummy that was used for a mirror shot. This also isn’t the first time Cameron has looked back critically onThe Terminator, as he revealed this past April thathe now has reservations about the amount of gun violence in the film,tellingVariety: “I don’t know if I would want to fetishize the gun, like I did on a couple of ‘Terminator’ movies 30-plus years ago.”
Our Take On The Terminator’s “Cringeworthy” Elements
Cameron’s Film Remains A Thrilling Watch
The Terminatoris, in many ways, a product of its time, but it’s also a thrilling sci-fi thriller that remains a compelling watch to this day. The story moves fast and features some memorable, star-making performances, and the film also paved the way for Cameron to makeTerminator 2: Judgment Day(1991), which is widely considered one of the best sequels ever made. The first film’s legacy also lives on through the following sequels, with thecritically-acclaimedTerminator Zeroanime the most recent new installment in the franchise.
As far as dialogue goes, there’s certainly something to be said for Cameron’s defense, as manylines fromTheTerminatorare now some of the most iconic lines in movie history. “I’ll be back,” for example, which Schwarzenegger says as the T-800, but also “Come with me if you want to live,” from Biehn’s Reese, have taken on a life beyond the film.
The Terminator
Cast
The Terminator, directed by James Cameron and released in 1984, features a cyborg assassin sent back in time to eliminate Sarah Connor, the mother of a future resistance leader. As the relentless machine pursues its mission, a human warrior is sent to protect her and secure humanity’s survival.
